Why do we lie?

       Why do we feel the need to make things up? To make ourselves seem like people we are not? To tell 'little white lies'? To be honest I don't believe there's a simple answer to this question. As hard as it is to admit, most of us are probably almost as bad as Jordan Baker when it comes to telling the truth. On page 57, Nick tells about a time that Jordan lied. He writes, "When we were on a house-party together up in Warwick, she left a borrowed car out in the rain with the top down, and then lied about it." This is one of the multiple examples Nick gives that support his claim that Jordan is a liar. In this case, she is lying about something that isn't even a big deal, but rather a simple mistake. However, for some reason she feels the need to lie about it. This happens still today. Although everyone knows that it is wrong to lie, many do it anyway. Some people don't even realize that they are lying, they are simply "incurably dishonest," (Fitzgerald 58). However, most people avoid telling exaggerated lies that heavily impact the lives of others. Instead, people tend to 'bend' the truth to make it seem as if everything is going the way they want it to. People tend to tell stories that enhance the image that others have of them, often by changing a couple minor details. This accusation isn't to say that everyone is "incurably dishonest," (Fitzgerald 58) or even that everyone has ever lied. This is just to say that often times people find it easier to tell a small lie, rather than suffer the embarrassment that may accompany the truth. But as to why we feel the need to do this, there is no exact answer. The best answer I could come up with is that we do it to protect ourselves. We 'bend' the truth to ensure that our images and reputations aren't damaged as a result of something minor.